Former Block favourites Bec and George Douros, lent their formidable renovation talents to their own property recently and with spectacular results. “This was the first property George and I ever purchased and it has been quite the labour of love for us over the last 12 months,” says Bec Douros of the home located in the inner-western Melbourne suburb of Spotswood.
Formerly a two-bedroom, one-bathroom 1950’s abode, the couple redesigned the floor plan, adding an extra bedroom, bathroom and open plan kitchen/living/dining space too. “This was the first renovation we undertook completely on our own with all the works completed by George and his father, Nick. This was also a great advantage to our budget!”
As for the most successful part of the project, Bec is very proud of the chic kitchen. “It really is the heart of this home and such a beautiful design. The Dekton benchtops that run up the wall as a splashback too are stunning!” says Bec.
“The home’s design is a perfect balance of old meets new. We restored all the original features of the home including the stunning ceiling roses, Tasmanian oak floors and weatherboards which were hidden under the brown face bricks,” says Bec. “The design of the roses is more of a reference to the Art Deco era but we didn’t run with this style throughout the home. In every project we do, we try to do our style, making all the pieces we love work together.”
One of the more dramatic changes that took place was to the front elevation, which is unrecognisable from its past incarnation. “We removed the brown face bricks to find the original weatherboards which we restored. We put in two French doors to open up onto the landscaped front yard as well as the perfect white picket fence,” says Bec.
Plenty of gorgeous details abound such as the tiles that adorn the porch. “That was George’s baby and he designed the tiled feature and the timber porch. It was also his choice to have a pink front door!” says Bec.
Photography: Elizabeth Allnut & Steph Brown
For those in the market, this property goes under the hammer next Saturday, 25 March 2017.
